Quincy Jones' 'Big Band Bossa Nova' helped introduce bossa nova, the Brazilian fusion of samba and jazz, to the US.

'Jazz Samba' is considered the start of the American bossa nova craze

The 1962 album by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd was an unexpected hit, reaching the top of the Billboard album chart and receiving a Grammy nomination for album of the year. Its lead single, "Desafinado," won the Grammy for best jazz performance and is now considered one of the genre's classic tracks.

In the mid-1960s, 'bossa nova' symbolized sophistication in the US

The success of several records, especially "Getz/Gilberto," led to a bossa nova craze in the United States, where it was perceived as an urbane, worldly status symbol. In response, marketers attached "bossa nova" to various products (including ice cream and sweaters) in an attempt to capitalize.

Bossa nova blends Brazilian samba and American jazz

Conceived by artists like Antônio Carlos Jobim in 1950s Rio de Janeiro, the music was seen as a more restrained, slower samba, which was Brazil's popular national music at the time. In addition, bossa nova was popular in the more middle-class, cosmopolitan neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro and was influenced by American jazz artists like Miles Davis, giving it a more urbane, intellectual air.

Guitarist Charlie Byrd brought bossa nova to the US after a government-sponsored tour

The Mutual and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, also known as the Fulbright–Hays Act, sought to spread understanding through education and cultural exchanges. Its passage led to a government-sponsored music tour of South America featuring jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd. In Brazil, Byrd was introduced to the music of João Gilberto and returned to the United States eager to incorporate bossa nova into his own music.

An ethnomusicologist breaks down bossa nova's American popularity

Kaleb Goldschmitt is a professor at Wellesley College who wrote the book "Bossa Mundo: Brazilian Music in Transnational Media Industries," which analyzed how and why bossa nova became so popular in the US in the early 1960s. According to Goldschmitt, much of it was due to the music's seemingly apolitical aesthetic, a notion that was reinforced by the Brazilian government.

A 1962 concert at Carnegie Hall introduced the American press to bossa nova

Bossa nova was still largely under the radar when João Gilberto, Luiz Bonfa, Sergio Mendes, and others performed at the storied Carnegie Hall in New York. Brazilian musician Gilberto Gil noted that the showcase's success was surprising to both the musicians and Brazilians, who began taking the music more seriously as a cultural export.

'Getz/Gilberto' is considered bossa nova's peak

The 1964 album, featuring the American saxophonist Stan Getz and the Brazilian guitarist João Gilberto, along with accompaniment from Antônio Carlos Jobim, was a massive hit and won the Grammy for album of the year in 1965. In time, it'd become one of the bestselling jazz albums of all time.

Watch 'Black Orpheus,' the film that helped popularize bossa nova

The 1959 film, directed by Marcel Camus, was soundtracked by bossa nova musicians Antônio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfá. It was a big hit, winning the Palme d'Or at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival and the 1960 Academy Award for best foreign language film, helping spread the genre in Brazil and beyond.

João Gilberto was bossa nova's first major star

Antônio Carlos Jobim wrote songs and worked with the singer, whose quiet, melancholy crooning made him a star. The records he recorded between 1959 and 1961, combined with the success of Marcel Camus' film "Black Orpheus," helped bossa nova move from a Brazilian sound to an international fascination.

The essential bossa nova albums

This primer from Far Out magazine offers a quick tour of the Brazilian genre through five of its most important albums, including "Getz/Gilberto," "Sergio Mendes Presents Lobo," and Roshina de Valenca's "Apresentando." Helpfully, there's plenty of critical commentary alongside the records, too, explaining how these landmark albums defined the genre.

Later bossa nova music sometimes featured subtle anti-government protests

In 1968, Brazil's military dictatorship imposed tight restrictions on airplay and banned songs (and, subsequently, their artists) that failed to depict an idyllic life. That meant that, on the surface, popular bossa nova painted a rosy picture of life in Brazil. Musicologists note that artists like Antônio Carlos Jobim often juxtaposed those sunny lyrics with sad-sounding musical accompaniment, making for subtle protests that slipped by censors.

Brazil's military dictatorship led to bossa nova's decline

In 1964, Brazil's president João Goulart was overthrown by a military coup supported by the US State Department. Scholars argue that the events led to the decline of bossa nova, with many Brazilians believing its pleasant sounds and picturesque lyrics were tone-deaf to the politically fraught moment.

'Chega de Saudade' is often considered the first bossa nova song

The song, which translates to "No More Blues," was written by Antônio Carlos Jobim and initially recorded by Elizete Cardoso in 1958. Although it bore some similarities with samba, Brazil's most popular dance music at the time, it was slower and considerably more melancholy and would eventually be called "bossa nova," which roughly translates to "new sound" or "new wave."

Hear 2 jazz pianists analyze 'Getz/Gilberto'

The 1964 bossa nova classic won the Grammy for album of the year, a rare feat for a jazz record. According to jazz pianists Peter Martin and Adam Maness, that also makes it one of the last truly popular jazz albums. In this episode of their podcast "You'll Hear It," they break down the musicality of the songs in real time, offering technical insights into every quirk and nuance.

Bossa nova standard 'The Girl from Ipanema,' made famous by Astrud Gilberto, is one of jazz's most famous songs.

Bossa nova had its own dance, though it was short-lived

American record executives hoped to create a social dance for the song, believing it would lead to more record sales, as had been the case with Chubby Checker's "The Twist." That led several well-regarded dance studios to attempt to create a dance, though none caught on like "The Twist" had.

Unlike bossa nova, tropicália was intentionally confrontational

The genre drew on elements of older Brazilian music, like samba and bossa nova, but it was also influenced by psychedelic rock, especially the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," and was highly critical of the country's military dictatorship. That led to repercussions: Two of the movement's primary figures, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, were detained and exiled in 1968.

Stan Getz initially didn't want to release 'The Girl from Impanema'

According to Stan Getz's son, Nick Getz, the legendary saxophonist thought the song was not a good fit for "Getz/Gilberto" because Astrud Gilberto's voice was too unprofessional. That low regard was reflected in the record's credits: Astrud Gilberto was allegedly paid $120 for the recording session and received no royalties for the song.

Billie Eilish and TikTok helped inspire a bossa nova resurgence

Eilish's 2021 song "Billie Bossa Nova" along with a handful of other younger artists, like Laufey and Beabadoobee, have inspired Gen Z's interest in the genre, with the music soundtracking tens of thousands of videos on TikTok.

Brazil's tropicália movement fused rock 'n' roll, Latin music, and poetry

Tropicália was a short-lived Brazilian style of rock 'n' roll that blended samba, bossa nova, modernist poetry, and American rhythm and blues that offered provocative, anti-authoritarian, and avant-garde ideas through popular music, much to the delight of the country's evolving youth culture.

Brazil's tropicália movement fused rock 'n' roll, Latin music, and poetry

Tropicália was a short-lived Brazilian style of rock 'n' roll that blended samba, bossa nova, modernist poetry, and American rhythm and blues that offered provocative, anti-authoritarian, and avant-garde ideas through popular music, much to the delight of the country's evolving youth culture.

The Boswell Sisters were the precursors to the American girl group

The jazz trio, popular in the ‘20s and ‘30s, doesn’t share much in common with the sounds of the well-known pop-oriented girl groups, but the sisters’ prominence in a male-dominated industry provided an early example for later groups. Check out their appearance in the 1932 film “The Big Broadcast,” performing the song “Crazy People.”

'Livery Stable Blues' was the first jazz recording and helped popularize the genre

The 1917 song by the Original Dixieland Jass Band was the first jazz recording to be issued and put the New Orleans sound on the national stage, along with inspiring several soundalikes.

How smooth jazz took over the '90s

As jazz entered the '70s, it was at a crossroads. While the genre's figureheads explored fusion and free jazz, which intentionally flouted mainstream convention, other artists began veering towards pop. Eventually, that sound would be called "smooth jazz."

Free jazz embraced the avant-garde

Ornette Coleman's 1959 album "The Shape of Jazz to Come" abandoned traditional notions of melody and structure, inadvertently creating "free jazz," a subgenre that embraced absolute musical freedom and gained popularity in the countercultural 1960s.

1984's 'Born in the USA' was a sensation, due in part to its music videos

The album was Springsteen's most pop-focused, with blaring synths and a pumping backbeat. It was a pop culture sensation, with five singles that reached the top 10, a massive arena tour, and several iconic music videos coinciding with MTV's rise. The record would eventually become one of the best-selling albums of all time.

Jazz brought together ragtime and blues

Ragtime was a popular music genre that blended African-American spirituals, European folk songs, and military marches. Blues, brought to New Orleans by free Black people seeking opportunities, allowed musicians to play within basic standards. Jazz combined both forms by merging the syncopated, dance-friendly sounds of ragtime with the soulful, brass-instrumental style of the blues.

Jean-Paul Sartre was amazed by American jazz

The French philosopher wrote about a 1947 trip to a New York jazz club as a transcendent experience, describing the magic of the relationship between performer and audience: "You shout, they shriek, they whistle, they are possessed, you are possessed."

Buddy Bolden assembled the first jazz ensemble

The New Orleans cornetist was a legend in the city, sometimes referred to as "king," for his electrifying performances, which captivated local dance halls by blending ragtime, blues, and gospel music. Unfortunately, recording technology was limited at the time, so there are no recordings of Bolden, though the song "Buddy Bolden's Blues" remains a standard to this day.

Springsteen's first band was called the Castiles

Springsteen joined a local garage rock band at 16. The band was influenced by British Invasion acts like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, as well as the burgeoning American psychedelic scene.

Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys were an influence on early punk rock

The Beach Boys' sunny sound profoundly influenced early punk acts like the Ramones, who took Brian Wilson's sugary hooks and ramped up the tempo.

Mardi Gras has inspired several songs

New Orleans is a historic music town—with deep-rooted jazz, R&B, and blues traditions, to name a few—so it's no surprise that its annual Carnival has led to more than a few Mardi Gras-themed songs through the decades. One of the most famous is Professor Longhair's 1959 track "Go to the Mardi Gras," an upbeat shuffle that's still played at parades today.

The origin of the 'barbershop quartet'

Barbershop is subgenre of acapella, limited to four singers who all play highly specific roles. If you see a particularly inspired quartet, you might even see them in old-timey barber dress, a nod to style's origin: the British barbershop. This brief explainer from Mental Floss breaks down the strange story behind the form and how it traveled overseas to become the music we know today.

1982's ‘Nebraska’ was recorded alone at home, a rarity at the time for a major artist

“Born to Run” became a hit in part due to its massive sound, something that was only possible thanks to the magic of the studio. That continued with 1980’s “The River,” which gave Springsteen his first top 10 single. With “Nebraska,” though, Springsteen abandoned the studio, opting to release the spare recordings he made at home, by himself. At the time, such a decision was a rarity for a platinum artist.

Michael Nesmith, an original member of the '60s group the Monkees, created a music video show that inspired MTV.

The Beatles were not an immediate success in the US—their label rejected their first two singles, and the band was mocked on the TV show 'American Bandstand.'

The song 'Hungry Heart' was written for punk icons the Ramones

After seeing the groundbreaking punk band in Asbury Park, Springsteen went home to write them a song. When his manager, Jon Landau, heard "Hungry Heart," he told Springsteen he couldn't give it away, especially after seeing the success of "Because the Night," another Springsteen composition that became a massive hit for Patti Smith.

'The Wiz' reimagined Baum's story for Black America

The 1978 film, produced in part by Motown Productions, starred several popular stars: Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor, Nipsey Russell and Lena Horne. The music—composed by Charlie Smalls and Luther Vandross, and overseen by Quincy Jones—mirrored songs from the 1939 film.

Listen to the 'Star Wars' disco album

The 1977 film inspired disco producer Meco to record danceable covers of sections of John Williams' score. The lead single from "Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk" eventually topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two consecutive weeks.

How Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees New Order forged a new sound

Formed in the ashes of post-punk outfit Joy Division, the British group incorporated synthesizers and pulsating, disco beats for "Blue Monday," their early single that would come to define the 1980s sonic landscape.

The movie soundtrack that helped mainstream grunge

Cameron Crowe's 1992 film "Singles" coincided with the mainstream grunge explosion. The romantic comedy takes place in Seattle's music scene, making it a perfect Hollywood product for the time. It also featured cameos from some of the scene's stars, including Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and Soundgarden's Chris Cornell.

The Beatles' appearance on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' in 1964 launched Beatlemania in the US after the band struggled to break through to American audiences.

Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys were an influence on early punk rock

The Beach Boys' sunny sound profoundly influenced early punk acts, such as the Ramones, who took Brian Wilson's sugary hooks and ramped up the tempo. In the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, California pop-punk acts such as the Descendents, Green Day and Blink-182 continued the tradition.

Guy Lombardo first played ‘Auld Lang Syne’ on New Year’s Eve because of a cigar sponsorship

The bandleader was booked to play a New Year’s Eve concert live on CBS radio program called the Robert Burns Panatela Show, named after its sponsor, a cigar brand. Lombardo, noting the cigar's name, decided “Auld Lang Syne,” penned by the poet Robert Burns, would be both a fitting tribute and, thematically, a great way to enter a new year.

Soap operas were especially popular in the '70s and '80s

Shows like "As the World Turns" and "Love of Life" attracted tens of millions of viewers and had many high-profile fans, including Andy Warhol, Sammy Davis Jr. and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. This Time cover story from 1976 explores the pop culture phenomenon.

He signed to Columbia Records in 1972

Springsteen had been performing solo at various venues, including some famous folk spots in Greenwich Village. Columbia executives saw this performance of “Growing Up”—which would later appear on his first album, “Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ”—and invited him to formally audition for the label before signing him.

An indie film helped launch Basquiat's art career

Basquiat starred in “Downtown 81” as a struggling artist, which was not far from reality. In fact, the paintings that he carries throughout the film are some of his earliest works. The production gave him canvas and paint, which he used to create other paintings.

Watch a 1934 short film starring Cab Calloway

Singer and bandleader Cab Calloway was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance's music scene. He was also one of the biggest names in jazz's swing era and would go on to be the first Black American to have a nationally syndicated radio show and the first to sell a million copies of a record. In this 1934 short film, "Cab Calloway's Hi-De-Ho," he reenacts his upbeat performances at Harlem's Cotton Club.

Daniel Johnston's home recordings have inspired countless rock legends

The singer-songwriter self-released cassettes in the early '80s that were not fit for the radio—their sound quality was poor, and the songs were often little more than an organ and Johnston's high-pitched voice, singing about things like Casper the Friendly Ghost. The tapes eventually found their way to alternative tastemakers, who lauded the songs' brilliance and inspired a cult following that has admired Johnston's music for decades.

The surprising and strange sources behind 12 famous songs

Britney Spears's "Toxic" borrowed strings from a 1981 Bollywood film, Billie Eilish sampled The Office, and one duo made an entire album using only the sounds of their Whirlpool washing machine. Explore how sampling can pull from pretty much anywhere.